


Fight for Our World

by Agent66



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Budding Love, F/F, Geek Love, Innuendo, Nerdiness, Romance, Side Story, War of the Worlds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:33:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent66/pseuds/Agent66
Summary: A group of side stories taking place during the War of the Worlds serial and arc.First set - Pearl spends some time with her mystery girl.





	1. Lazy Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody!
> 
> I know, I know. Agent 66, this is not the next story in the War of the Worlds serial. I know, I'm working on it, BUT in the meantime, I wanted to give you all this (cause I'm making you wait). So all you Mystery Pearl fans were probably wondering why I keep putting their ship as my relationship tags, but you're not getting any actual MP action. Well...this is the reason. I've been putting those ideas into this story :)
> 
> These are snippets that appear or are mentioned within the various stories of the [War of the Worlds](http://archiveofourown.org/series/724287) series and will, hopefully, cover the entire course of this huge undertaking. Right now, I've got a set of MP stuff, with the idea for some Connverse and Rupphire at some point. You don't have to read the entire series to read this, though knowing what's happening on the other side of the coin is helpful.
> 
> That's why I've also written up a [primer](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Kf_POUuIApAMlhI13z2MkdeAmuI48BiQcUko8M7FvI/edit?usp=sharing) for you guys! So now, if you happen to stumble upon a new story, but don't want to go all the way back to the beginning, you can now read the summaries of all the stories so you can catch up.
> 
> That's enough of the biz-ness, so let's get on with a story!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During [Fusion Chemistry](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11917524), Pearl heads out to see her Mystery Girl for breakfast, then lunch, and soon, a lazy day of fun.
> 
> *Taken from the end section of chapter two*

Early Tuesday morning in Rehoboth Cove was simply quiet, with just a few singing birds and even one or two seagulls starting to cause a fuss as they began to head out to the beach. It was a perfect day for a motorcycle ride and despite that ride would be to the office, Sheena Murphy was happy in the journey, not the destination.

Recently moved to this small area of coastal towns and cities, Sheena had originally grown up in the mean streets of Brownstone, a suburb within the state of Empire, surrounded by tall buildings and crowded streets. The daughter of the former chief of police, Sheena had left the city life for one with a little more open spaces and air that smelled of the sea and not the strange mix of food, alcohol, and other unsavory things if one knew where to find it.

And at one time, Sheena had known exactly where to find it.

With only two years to go until she hit the big 3-0, the young woman decided she needed another change in her life – newly single, free spirited, and with a growing career, Sheena packed her bags, spun a globe, and picked a new place to live by stopping it with her finger. And Rehoboth Cove was where she would head. She had only been there for half a year, but so far, things were looking up for her.

Her freelance web development gig had gone full-time, allowing her to work from home for most of the time, with only the small requirement of coming in at least once a week and attending all meetings where she was needed. It was a great gig for a small startup within Sea City, putting her location in Rehoboth Cove a perfect commute, as the little city sat between the former and the sleepy village of Aqua Town.

So far, her decision had put her not only in proximity to her job in Sea City, but close to the local musician gig hub in Ocean Town and an unexpected affinity for Beach City. Even as she was gathering her things for an early morning drive, Sheena’s mind couldn’t help but drift to the beach hub or rather, one of her favorite people within the town of maybe 15, 20 people.

After a three-year break on romantic entanglements, the pink haired, pierced free spirit hadn’t been looking to hook up with _anyone_ by going to that Mike Krol concert in Ocean Town, but then she had been approached by a cute, also pink haired doll – apparently Sheena was easily swayed by handshakes and throwaway lines about saving the planet and her species because she had immediately written down her number for the cutie to take.

Ten minutes later, after getting a quick drink, the mystery girl had disappeared.

Chalking it up to her incredible luck of attracting and _losing_ awesome girls she was interested in, Sheena tried to dismiss the encounter, convinced she would probably never see the strange, pale woman again. Until two days later when she got a phone call. That was about four months ago and Sheena was pretty they had entered and gone past exclusive; at least, _she_ wasn’t seeing anyone else and she was pretty sure she didn’t want to and she was about 99.99% sure Pearl wasn’t the type to date multiple girls at the same time.

Thoughts of her possible alien girlfriend (was she her alien girlfriend? Both topics and terms hadn’t really been discussed yet) aside, it was nearly seven in the morning and Sheena had to get to work. The ability to only show up once a week gave her the choice to dress however she wanted, though she went a little more professional in her attire for work than she did going to a concert or hanging out at home. Khaki cargo shorts and a green striped polo under her trusty black windbreaker was the uniform for today, business casual at its finest.

Sheena had found a quiet, two-story condo that was in a nice area and was priced decently enough, especially for a two-bedroom; it even allowed for her to keep her motorcycle in a small garage, even when she was on the second floor. The garage was about as big as her walk-in closet, but it suited the purpose of a motorcycle owner. Sheena was actually the second owner of what she and her father called ‘Boss Hog’, the SR400 previously belonging to her father, but had been passed down to her when she turned 18.

For the last ten years – not counting the previous seven years that her father had been riding it – Sheena and the Boss had been through a lot together. They went on long rides together, had taken a few girlfriends to secret places together, had even seen a pretty heavy make-out session on it, and had moved with her from Brownstone to Rehoboth. Her father had taught her all about motorcycle maintenance, the tricks and quirks of the Boss, and how to handle yourself when riding. The Boss had been good to her.

Until it wasn’t.

Every now and then, when Sheena went to start the old girl, it wouldn’t. Kinda like today. “Aw, come on, Boss,” she grumbled, sitting on the bike in annoyed defeat. “Mama wants to go to work today.”

Taking another try at the kick starter, Boss Hog replied in an equally annoyed silence with, _Well, Mama **ain’t** going to work today_.

With a groan and a sigh of defeat, Sheena unstraddled the bike and turned back around to head upstairs to her apartment. She knew what the problem, well, she had a fairly good idea and she knew Boss was punishing her for not fixing said problem when she first noticed it over the weekend. She was busy, dang it! She’d been working on a big project that she just needed to put the finishing touches on that morning and then she could screw around with her temperamental bike.

Trudging back up the stairs, Sheena figured she’d make her coffee and just work from home today. She could always go in tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Cyber Financial was up and running by 8:30, with the website now brought into the current world of technology. Clients and partners could now view it from whatever device they wanted without the site flipping out and crashing and they could actually reach someone without having to resort to Tubble to find a phone number – which would put off a potential customer anyway and move them to a company that had all that info on their actual website – and the site didn’t look like it was made in the early 90s.

Job well done, Murphy.

Sheena thought so and that’s why, before she’d tackle the refresh for Midlian’s site and an extra microsite – she’d have to send an email to the content team. Hopefully she’d get Gene and not, heaven forbid Marsha – she was going to take a break. And a break meant destroying Shelotte the Dragon in Dawn of the Dragons. Oh, that hooker was going down.

Well…that was the hope.

After the last fail, Sheena would have to make her way back to town in Goldshire, gear back up – stupid one hit dragon – and then go _all the way back_ through the stupid Church of Harold – stupid mobby zealots – and then reach the cave where Shelotte was and hope this time, the dragon didn’t pound her into the dirt.

Stupid, stealthy dragon.

She’d been playing for about forty-five minutes when her phone beeped, telling her she had a text. Glancing over, she quickly paused the game when she saw that it was from Pearl and not work.

**_Pretty Pearl: Hello. Are you currently busy?_ **

The text wasn’t strange – Pearl’s entry into tech had been equal parts adorable and fascinating – and the ‘gem’ knew she normally worked from home, so she didn’t mind sending back a quick reply.

**_Sheena: Hey baby!_ **

She greeted and she could immediately imagine the blush, blueish as it was, showing up on Pearl’s face when she saw it.

**_Sheena: Nothing’s going on here at Shay Central._ **

That technically wasn’t a lie – she wasn’t working at the moment, so she _was_ technically free.

**_Sheena: What’s up with you?_ **

The response was instant.

**_Pretty Pearl: It looks as though I have the rest of the day free and it would seem the perfect occasion for us to, maybe, hang out? Would you want to spend lunch together?_ **

From the word go, Sheena was pretty sure this was either Pearl’s first romantic relationship or her first in a really long time. She had met Steven, while not biologically Pearl’s son may as well have been, and there was sort of an unspoken tension when anyone mentioned Steven’s mother – something she had noticed with Pearl’s friend Garnet and Steven’s dad – so she took that as a sign that there had been something between Pearl and Steven’s mother and it hadn’t ended well.

Obviously, if Steven was the end product.

Sheena couldn’t remember the last time she had dated someone so newly out and about in the world of dating, but she couldn’t remember having been so attracted before either. Maybe it was the fact that Pearl was ridiculously nerdy in an incredibly sexy way, maybe it was the fact that she seemed to know anything and everything, maybe because she seemed worldly – space alien, right? – she didn’t know, but she was absolutely besotted with her to the point of finding any excuse to spend time with her.

Her reply was cheeky, asking if Pearl would be on the menu and again, the image of a flushed, blue cheeked face flashed across her mind and creating thoughts that needed to be tempered or taken care of if she was planning on seeing the thinner woman. It was only made worse with Pearl asking just how good she’d been. Sheena bit back a moan.

_Hey Jackie boy, it’s Sheena. So, I’m not coming in today, mainly cause my bike isn’t starting, but mostly cause I plan on seducing this girl I’ve been seeing for the last few months. That’s cool, right? I mean, you guys want me to get laid, yeah?_

As crazy as that phone call would be, Sheena was one of like three women in the office and only Marsha was the total stick in the mud…

**_Sheena: There’s never gonna be a time where I don’t want to see you. You should absolutely come over._ **

She left it at that. While asking if Pearl was on the menu was sly, adding that she was hoping to get her into bed might be a little too aggressive and Sheena wasn’t about to scare her off. Hopefully. She thought that was the end of the conversation until her phone beeped again.

**_Pretty Pearl: You haven’t had breakfast, per chance?_ **

Looking at the time and hearing the grumble of her stomach, Sheena realized that she had _not_ had breakfast yet.

**_Sheena: Same question as before. Are you on the menu for breakfast?_ **

_Don’t think about having Pearl for breakfast._

_Oh, well, too late._

**_Pretty Pearl: And again, it all depends on how good you’ve been._ **

Oh, this girl was good. Hidden depths, someone could say. Sheena responded, again stating that of course she wanted Pearl to come over and seeing the confirmation that she would. Looking around, Sheena popped up and started tidying up the place; usually she kept her condo in relatively lived in conditions, but last week had been such a rush job, she hadn’t gotten around to actually doing much cleaning.

Thankfully, all the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher and she had taken out the trash that morning beforehand. She would have to take care of Boss Hog later, probably once Pearl had gone back home or do it early tomorrow to ensure she could _actually_ go into work; satisfied that the place was clean enough for company, Sheena did a quick smellfie to ensure maximum ordor protection before grabbing the body spray she kept in her messenger bag, giving herself a quick spray to freshen up.

As she did, she got the email that Gene could only help on the microsite, so her main content writer would be Marsha cause the world hated her. Of course.

Now in a condition for any type of cuddling – fingers crossed – Sheena sat down and continued her journey, hoping her upcoming battle would tackle two frustrations at once.

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later and only one death, Sheena heard a knock on her door and called out for the person to enter, eyes never leaving the screen as she battled against Shelotte’s minions. “You do realize you should never allow someone to enter your home like that,” replied a voice. The pink haired woman immediately paused, turning her head to watch the thin figure of Pearl close the door and walk towards her.

“Why worry when I hang out with a bad ass alien warrior?” came her cheeky response and like clockwork, a faint blush appeared on the gem’s face. Tilting her face up slightly, she grinned when Pearl uttered a surprised “Oh” before leaning over and giving Sheena the kiss hello she wanted. Rusty as she may have been, the gem caught on quickly, even if she was always surprised by the younger woman’s attentions.

“Whatcha got there, baby?” asked Sheena, seeing both a large cup and a grocery bag in Pearl’s hand.

“Oh, well,” Pearl chuckled, a little flustered by the casual way in which her favorite human at this point could ask for a kiss. Removing the cup from her left hand and handing it to Sheena with her right, she said, “You mentioned you hadn’t eaten yet, so I stopped by that juicing place and got you a smoothie.” Holding up the hand that still held the grocery bag, she shrugged and said, “And I thought maybe I could make you lunch.”

“Aw,” Sheena replied, grinning up at her and taking the smoothie. “You’re a doll. I can’t remember the last time someone made me lunch. Other than my Pops. Or brought me breakfast.”

“Well, that’s certainly a shame,” the gem replied, backing up slightly to walk around the coffee table and enter into the kitchen. “Because I know you have a tendency to skip meals.”

The woman nodding, her eyes never leaving the form of her companion. “True that,” she said. “But maybe I’m just missing meals so you’ll come over and see me.” Sending a wink to the gem, Pearl chuckled, who came back over and sat down next to her.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re teasing me,” she said, though there was a bit of a teasing in the blue eyes that stared back at her.

“About skipping meals to see you, yes,” Sheena replied. “Wanting to see you? Never.” Hitting the start button on her control to unpause, Sheena managed to beat back two minions before dying and groaning out a curse.

“What’re you playing?”

“Dawn of Dragons,” Sheena said, as they watched the load screen. “Though the last few weeks, it may as well be called ‘Kick Sheena’s Ass’ cause that’s exactly what these guys have been doing.”

“Your hunger has obviously made you weak.”

Sheena snorted into her drink. She really liked this side of Pearl and she was starting to wonder if this was something that only those closest got to see or if it was reserved just for her. “Or maybe the sight of you and your proximity to me makes me go weak in the knees,” she retorted. “Ever think about that?”

Taking the controller from her hands, Pearl smirked. “Flatterer,” she said, testing out the controls. “How does this work?”

Sheena could see the slight fear in her eyes at the question when asked, as though she was taking an unwanted step over a crossed line. This wasn’t the first time Sheena had seen that look, as though Pearl was just waiting for a reprimand should she do something wrong. Like Steven’s mother, there was a story there and something they would need to discuss and probably soon.

Instead, Sheena place an arm around her and placing her hands on top of Pearl’s on the controller. As she hoped, the action made the gem relax and if she wasn’t mistaken, lean back into the embrace. She walked Pearl through the movements and her character’s powers, noting the look of surprise and pleasure that graced her face when she saw the character’s weapons – the first set was a magic spear that shot an electrified beam at an opponent, while the second set was a dual wield of specially forged katanas that had taken Sheen the entire weekend to get.

Her character normally favored two axes, but after hearing that not only was Pearl a proficient sword wielder herself, but was actively teaching it to at least one student – Steven’s friend, though from the way he spoke about her, the term had that unspoken ‘girl’ in front of it – and actually seeing her remove an actual spear from her forehead, well…

Any doubts about whether the girl-she-was-interested-in-attracted-to was actually the alien-she-was-interested-in-and-attracted-to ended right there. When her character had run across the spear after a grueling four hours of grinding and an instance, her interest was peeked and it took her nearly a week before she realized that 1. She never, if ever used two handed weapons that weren’t separated by a hand each and 2. She had only gotten interested after _Pearl_ had shown her weapon of choice.

Freud wouldn’t be able to see _any_ connection there. No, sir, totally believable.

After Pearl had the controls down, Sheena leaned back against the couch, sipping her liquid breakfast. She hadn’t removed her arm from Pearl’s waist and neither seemed to find anything to complain about in this arrangement. “How’s work?” the gem asked, doing a much better job of minion hunting that Sheena had.

“Good,” she said. “I was supposed to go in today to finish up the project, but the Boss was being finicky, so I said screw it and just decided to work from home. As you can see, I was somewhat productive before I become completely unproductive.”

“I’m not taking you away from anything, am I?”

“Nah,” Sheena replied, giving the gem’s waist a squeeze. There was that fear again. “I’d much rather see you than have to see Marshall Boring Pants.”

“Well, I enjoy seeing you too,” Pearl said, leading a group of minions around in a circle until she was able to knock them all back with the beam from her spear. Clever girl. “But I also like seeing you eat regular meals and not sleeping on your motor bike. And if I understand humans at this point, all of that can only be achieved if you have gainful employment.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Sheena, I’m serious.”

Sitting up, Sheena leaned closer and stated, “I know you are” before delivering a kiss to Pearl’s neck causing her to yelp slightly in surprise. Her lips were chilled from the smoothie and the gem hadn't been expecting it, something that was par for the course the more the two of them spent time together. Resting her chin on the thin gem's shoulder, she continued with, “I’m going in tomorrow once I straighten out Boss Hog.”

“It’s nothing serious, is it?” the gem asked, glancing at the pink haired human.

“Geez, I hope not,” Sheena replied, once again leaning back against the couch. “It wouldn’t start this morning. I need to check out some stuff, but should be an easy fix. Unless it’s not and then I’ll have to call my Pops. Or take it to a mechanic. The last two are obviously not options I want to deal with.”

“Well,” Pearl began, her focus halfway on the battle she was currently losing against something called Shelotte. Once the thing burned her alive, it was a frustrating game over. That…didn’t sit well with her and she immediately loaded it back up at the last save. As the loading screen appeared, she turned to look at Sheena.

“If you’d like, I could take a look at it,” she said. “I know a little something about machines, so I don’t think it would be too hard to figure out. It’s almost like a car, correct?”

Sheena laughed quietly. “Oh honey,” she said. “Motorcycles are _nothing_ like cars, for good reason. Thankfully, you can do a lot more home maintenance with a bike than you can with a car.”

“Oh, well…I’d still like to help. If you’d like me to.”

“You wanna watch me tinker with my bike?” she asked, hesitantly. That’s not what she was saying, right?

“I said I wanted to help, not watch.”

“You…you did say that,” Sheena stumbled.

“Unless you don’t…”

“No,” she said, before shaking it clear. “I mean…I do want your help. It’s just…no one’s ever offered before.”

“Again, a shame,” Pearl replied, looking into Sheena’s eyes. “A complete and total waste of enjoyable company.” Turning away in embarrassment, Pearl was just in time to her player character walk right into a trap, once again killing her. “Oh, come on!”

 

* * *

 

Motorcycle maintenance is not for the faint of heart, meaning if you don’t enjoy tinkering with machines or anything electrical, you probably won’t enjoy owning a bike or worse, you’ll find yourself out thousands of dollars taking it to a mechanic every time something goes wrong.

Former police chief Doyle Murphy, being a former motorcycle cop and current rider, had started his daughter’s love of the vehicle from an early age, holding her as a baby while he cleaned it. Even as a baby, Sheena knew all about bike maintenance and bike safety, so when she led Pearl down to her garage, she immediately handed the gem a set of safety goggles and gloves, waving off any notion that because she was a gem and could easily handle anything that might happen.

Luckily though Pearl was very much a safety first kind of gem – unlike Amethyst – and she gratefully accepted the gear, watching as Sheena put her long pink hair up into a cute ponytail before giving the gem a tour of the different parts of her motorcycle. Sheena explained the current issue – Boss Hog not starting – and what the causes could possibly be; the first was the starter not causing any spark from the spark plugs. The easiest fix is to just change the spark plugs.

Sheena was about 99% sure that was her current problem. She realized there was a problem over the weekend when she tried to go and pick up some food for dinner, ending up just having it delivered instead.

Patting the cushioned seat, Sheena had Pearl sit on the bike, while she went through the steps on checking for ‘spark’ that could alight the spark plug.

For Pearl, the process was fascinating. She had never thought about motorcycles before, having believed them to be very dangerous and that riders took changes with their lives. While that could be true for some riders, the gem had grown to find that motorcycles were…exciting, adventurous, and she owed it all to the woman who was knelt down next to her.

At Sheena’s direction and instruction, Pearl started the bike using the classic kick starter, watching as the woman held the older spark plug to the engine, waiting to see if anything would happen. That was a small spark, a blink of the eye if you could call it that, but it caused Sheena to nod in confirmation. Signaling to turn the bike off, the gem complied, hearing the annoyed, “I knew it” before the woman stood and walked over to a nearby bench.

Grabbing a new spark plug, Sheena returned and replaced the spark plug and telling Pearl to start the bike. As though a light switched on, so did the bike, giving a familiar hum and rumble. “You can be a real witch with a capital B, Boss,” Sheena grumbled. Looking at Pearl, she asked, “You mind if I take it for a ride? Just to check things out?”

Shaking her head, Pearl replied, “No, of course not.” She began to get off, but Sheena shook her head, sending the gem a mischievous smile. Instead of joining Pearl on the bike, the pink haired woman began to push the bike out of the garage, using the handlebars to push. Once they were out of the garage and on the driveway proper, Sheena handed Pearl the extra helmet she kept before climbing on behind the gem.

“You…you realize I don’t know how to drive a motorbike,” Pearl replied, a slight nervous laugh coming from her lips.

“I know,” Sheena whispered, her lips next to Pearl’s ear. It was an effort to make sure the gem could hear her over the engine, but she would be lying if the small shudder she felt from her driver wasn’t thrilling in itself. “That’s why I’m gonna teach you. Put your hands on the bar, nine and three…”

The instructions, delivered with ease and a voice that was very distracting, if Pearl was perfectly honest, was similar to driving a manual automobile, despite the mechanics being in different places. Sheena showed her how shift gears, as well as using the throttle, and soon, Pearl was pushing the bike forward, directing it where Sheena instructed.

This wasn’t the first time the two had ridden together, however it was the first time Pearl had been in the driver’s seat and it was, in a word, exhilarating. Within the first quarter mile, the gem couldn’t help but let out a laugh as they continued, the wind against her skin, and more importantly, the solid form against her back and strong arms holding her against it.

They traveled down the street, passing by shops and eateries; it reminded Pearl of Beach City, though there were more people here than her little niche town. Sheena was equally enjoying herself – this was the first time she had ever let someone other than her father or a mechanic ride Boss Hog, but for some reason, she felt very confident in Pearl’s abilities and the gem didn’t disappoint.

Despite only living here for a few months, Sheena had immediately scoped out interesting places, little spots that she could go to in order to think or even just get inspiration and they were headed to one such place. As they headed towards Sea City, Sheena signaled for Pearl to turn off towards the right, towards a small hiking trail that overlooked the coast.

The little area could be considered a rest stop, a little over hang where you could sit and look out at the sea or for hikers to warm up or rest as they headed on and off the trail. Sheena found the scenery a good inspiration when she was stuck for some and this was the first time she had ever shown it to someone else. Pulling off the road and stopping just short of entering the hub, Pearl slowed the bike to a stop, turning off the engine and kicking out the kick stand.

She allowed Sheena off before she followed, removing the helmet and smiling at the tanned skinned woman. “Enjoy yourself?”

“That was incredible!” the gem exclaimed, laughing as she did. “I never realized motorcycles could be so fun.”

Sheena chuckled. “Stick with me, kid,” she said, taking Pearl’s hand. “I’ve got loads to show you.”

“You do realize that I’m…well past the age of your human childhood,” the gem replied, though there was a small smirk across her lips.

“Well,” the woman replied, stepping closer. “I’ve always tended to be attracted to older women.”

“That a fact.”

“Don’t look so surprised,” she continued, leaning in. “I’m not always so accommodating, but there’s just something about sexy space aliens.” After a beat, she chuckled. “That sounded way more flattering in my head.”

Pearl matched her chuckle, pulling Sheena closer until she was a breath away from her lips. “No worries,” she whispered. “I was flattered.” Sheena closed the gap between them, capturing the gem’s lips with hers.

They only spent a few minutes out, the exercise of just checking whether or not Boss Hog was going to have any other issues. Sheena would need to spend some time this weekend doing a complete check and the thought of having some help didn’t quite leave her mind, even as they headed back with Sheena taking them back as driver.

Stepping inside the condo, Pearl spotted the clock, realizing that it well after the time she should’ve started lunch, shooing Sheena to the couch to finish her work while she made lunch. It wasn’t anything fancy – a quick vegetable wrap with a variety of bell peppers, asparagus, onions, black olives, baby spinach, tomatoes, and goat cheese. Despite having the occasional craving and lazy lapse in judgement, Sheena tried to eat healthy, which fit with Pearl’s insistence that she eat the normal three meals a day humans were required.

The young woman grabbed the laptop that had been sitting on the coffee table, a stark reminder that she actually was supposed to be working today and not, well, playing video games, fixing her bike, and spending the day with a hopeful romantic interest. While she never liked doing actual design work on a laptop, Sheena did like coming up with concepts and other ideas while being able to chill in front of her television.

The full time position gave her the ability to swap out her old, beaten down laptop for one the fancier touch screen, tabtop computers – laptops that also functioned as tablets when removing the keyboard – and she had gotten a third monitor to go with her desktop that sat in the 2nd bedroom aka the Den of Design Office. She’d move back there once she got some ideas together, that way she could also code up any enhancements on three 24 inch monitors instead of the 15 inch on the laptop.

Midlian’s website was thankfully a little more hip in comparison to Cyber Financial and the group seemed to have a decent color scheme that wouldn’t need to be changed too much; however touch screens and mobile were pushing them into a refresh to a more modern audience and those were the clients Sheena loved the most. They were usually her age, give or take a few years, so they knew what was happening in technology and were all about trying to hit the right balance to entice customers.

It could sometimes be easier working with those clients than the old dogs – the ones who weren’t sure about tech and didn’t know what to make of the pierced, pink haired, very tall and built woman who was going to be making their site look pretty. In fact, the entire office at Spyder Web would probably look more appropriate at a rave than an office; it was one of the reasons Sheena liked working there. They were her peeps, her homies, fellow lovers of the unconventional, which was a boon to some and a wariness to others.

The smells coming from the kitchen were almost enough to make her see what Pearl could possibly be making. For a gem who didn’t even eat, Sheena thought she could easily be a world class chef and it was a shame she didn’t really consume anything because _everything_ she made was delicious. This wasn’t the first time Pearl had cooked for her and the human woman couldn’t help but feel horrible at not being able to return the gesture, but the gem had reassured her the very act of just spending time together was enough for her.

“Hey babe?”

“Yes?”

“’Mere for a second.”

Pearl wiped her hands on a nearby dishtowel before heading towards Sheena and sitting down next to her. The woman had her laptop balanced on her lap and turned it so she could show the gem what she had been working on. Pearl didn’t quite understand all of human technology – she’d just learned how to use a cell phone and text only a few months ago – and she wasn’t 100% sure she truly understood the purposes of having these ‘web sites’ on the ‘Enter Net’, but Sheena had been so wonderful in explaining not only what it was she did for a living, but what that meant for the people she worked with, and people who worked with them.

The gem’s basic understanding was that her human… (companion? Mate? Lover? If only! They hadn’t exactly discussed the nature of their relationship, which Pearl knew she would have to bring up gem history, _her history_ , and then that nature could _change_ their relationship) designed these web sites to help businesses get, well, more business. Technology had made it so people wanted to find things quickly and going ‘online’ was the best way to do that; Sheena made it so these web sites could easily be found by potential customers. Pearl thought it was a commendable effort, helping new and current businesses reach out to customers, however the gem’s admiring was more on Sheena’s skills as a designer and programmer.

Even now, as Sheena showed her the original web site and then the ideas she’d managed to come up in the few minutes they had been in the apartment was incredible. “It’s wonderful,” Pearl said, honestly liking the concept her human had explained to her. “You’re wonderful.”

As many times as Sheena had made the gem blush, it was always a rare treat when the latter could do the same to the former. Pearl had noticed compliments, especially those from her, could cause a faint blush to appear on the beautiful face, a seemingly strange occurrence for someone Pearl thought was extremely confident in her abilities. The blush only grew when the gem delivered a kiss to her darkened cheek.

“Take a break,” she whispered. “Lunch is ready.”

_Hey, Billy the Kid! Sup bud? It’s Sheena. Listen, I was gonna come in to work tomorrow, but I’m hoping I won’t be able to walk in the morning as I’m seriously thinking about seducing the girl I’ve been seeing for months. She made me lunch, dude. And brought me breakfast. Apparently, the way to my heart is making sure I actually eat._

_Only fair I return the favor, right? Yes, that was totally an innuendo and now both of our minds are in the gutter. You’re welcome._

Shaking those thoughts, tempting as they may be, from her head, Sheena none the less followed the instructions, setting her laptop aside and headed into the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

When Sheena was a kid, she had what they called ‘lazy days’ – those days where you don’t really do anything or if you do, it’s all done inside. Usually reserved for rainy or snowy days, sometimes a lazy day could sunny and you just wanted to sit down and color.

Despite being a Tuesday and a workday for that matter, Sheena was thinking this was a lazy day. Yes, she was working from home, however she had also spent some time playing video games and spent time with her hope against hope girlfriend for most of the day. Even now, she managed to put both of those together – she was watching Pearl do another run at Shelotte while she finished up her concept designs for Midlian.

It seemed almost strange that the alien beside her would be so drawn to something as human as video games. But then again, with what she knew of the gem, it did sorta make sense – Dawn of Dragons was an action-adventure RPG or ARPG, with weapon wielding characters, and exciting quests that sent you all over the mythical world of Arnesth. Isn’t that what Pearl did in her daily life?

Sheena had questions about that – their introduction had started with Pearl announcing that she had saved Earth and the human race and they had kinda left it at that; oh, she had gotten little bits and pieces after running into Steven, his dad, and the gem called Garnet. That’s when Steven’s mother's name had been dropped into conversation; there was an obvious history between the group and there was an obvious history when it came to what exactly had happened to the Earth to the point where Pearl and her friends had to save it.

It had only been a few months, maybe it was still too early to start hashing out who saved who from certain death or what happened in their past that they might not want the other person to know about. It had only been what? Four months? That wasn’t at long enough to know whether Sheena wanted Pearl to stick around for longer or if she was going to.

Still too early, yeah?

Pearl’s triumphant shout knocked Sheena back into the real world, her green eyes now focused on the television screen instead of her laptop. For someone who didn’t play video games, Pearl was kicking ass and taking names – she had cleared out the minions and had managed to get Shelotte down to 15% health, something Sheena hadn’t even done. “C’mon baby,” Sheena cheered. “Show that six-legged beast who’s boss!”

Shelotte was a hulking figure, not unlike some of the corrupted gem creatures the Crystal Gems had been fighting against and bubbling for thousands of years. Pearl guessed it was rather strange for her to be getting this type of enjoyment out of something she typically did on occasion, but it did give her an appreciation for this type of entertainment.

She always did find it strange that Steven would play adventure games when he took part in adventures of his own, but watching Connie play or even Sheena, she understood that sometimes humans needed to escape the stresses of their daily routines. Though the controls were unfamiliar, her movements reflected her own personal style, weaving around just out of reach from the monster’s grasp.

All she needed was an opening, one that left the beast vulnerable to attack and at the last moment, she saw what she needed and attacked – delivering a thrust with her spear, Shelotte reared back, screeching in defeat, before falling over to the ground.

“You did it!”

The hug took Pearl by surprise, causing her to laugh at the exuberant way Sheena was showing her affection. “I’m sorry,” the gem replied, looking at the pink haired woman. “I didn’t mean to take over your game and finish it.”

“Aw baby,” Sheena whispered. “Firstly, I’ve been trying to beat that heifer for weeks now, so you’ve done me a great favor. Secondly, this is an ongoing game, so I have plenty of enemies to face, no worries about that. Believe me, I’m extremely grateful and appreciative.”

The gem smiled, shyly, her cheeks darkening in a blue hue causing Sheena to drop a kiss on her lips. “This was just like one of those missions you do, huh?” the human asked.

“Yes,” Pearl whispered. “It was similar.”

“Will you tell me about them?” Sheena asked. “The missions you and the others go on?”

Pearl nodded slowly. “Yes,” she said. “If you want me to, though I think it’s too late in the day to go into them now. There’s…there’s a lot of backstory that proceeds everything.”

“Featuring Steven’s mother?”

“A lot of _my_ history does,” she said, looking away. Seeing the sky darkening outside, Pearl chuckled, saying, “Goodness! I didn’t realize how late it was getting. I’m surprised Steven hasn’t called yet, wondering where I am.”

As soon as she stopped speaking, her phone – which had been sitting on the coffee table next to Sheena’s – began to ring, a strange dance song that Steven and Connie had programmed into her phone. She hadn’t yet figured out to change the music on her phone, so thankfully Sheena would _never_ hear the song she was sure Amethyst had put in there (something called ‘Fever’ that, while not explicit, easily said a lot about the feelings Pearl had for the human woman).

“His ears must have been burning,” Sheena chuckled.

“I’m sure that’s not possible,” Pearl said, leaning over to grab her phone. “Garnet knows not to take Steven anywhere near lava.”

Sheena had to raise an eye brow at that. Giving Sheena an apologetic look, the gem quickly answered. “This is Pearl.”

“Pearl!”

“Hello, Steven,” she replied, a smile easily finding its way on her face.

Sheena watched the interaction from the corner of her eye, seeing the previous look on the gem’s face disappear when speaking to the teenager. It was clear Steven held a special place in Pearl’s heart – or whatever passed for a heart in the body of a gem, she guessed – and the feeling seemed to be mutual for the teen. Their conversation seemed to be about whatever mission Steven had gone on earlier that day, with Pearl of course fretting over the boy.

“Oh,” the gem said, sending a quick glance to the developer. “Well, actually I’ve…I’ve been hanging out with Sheena for most of the day. Yes, I’m actually sitting next to her right now, why? Oh, well…” Pulling the phone away from her ear, Pearl gave Sheena an embarrassed grin. “Steven wants to talk to you.”

Looking at the screen, the gem’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “How do I…”

“Speakerphone’s right there, hon.”

“Ah, thank you.” Hitting the icon for speakerphone, Pearl replied, “You’re on the speakerphone, Steven. Go…”

“Hi Sheena!”

Sheena chuckled, hearing the enthusiasm from the teen. “Hey buddy,” she said. “How’s it going?”

“Did you hear the news?” he asked, excitedly.

“What’s that?”

“They’re making another Lonely Blade movie!” the teen shouted.

“Steven, lower your voice,” Pearl admonished. “We can hear you just fine. And so can Sheena’s neighbors, I’m sure.”

“I had not heard that,” Sheena said, sending a smile to her companion.

“It’s coming out in a few months,” Steven continued. “You wanna come with us? Me and Connie are gonna go! You and Pearl should go with us!”

“It’ll be like a double date.”

“What!?” The teen sputtered, laughing loudly to cover his embarrassment. “We…this…what? I mean, of course you and Pearl should go on a date. I insist upon it!”

“Connie in the room, then?” the human joked.

“Don’t be silly!” Steven replied, his voice cracking on the last word. “Yes, of course, Connie says hi. So anyway, you wanna come? Do ya?”

“Sure, Steven,” Sheena said. “You tell me when it comes out and I’ll buy the tickets.”

“Awesome!” the teen exclaimed. “Pearl, can we have pizza for dinner?”

“Did Amethyst put you up to this?”

“Amethyst is still at Vidalia’s,” Steven replied. “She’s gonna play cards with her, Sadie’s mom, and my dad. And Garnet said it was okay. Oh, oh! Can Connie stay for dinner? Please? Please?!”

“Only if Connie’s parents say it’s okay,” Pearl reminded. “And tell Garnet to get one that has vegetables on it. I mean it, Steven; I want to see at least one vegetable on one of those pizzas.”

“Garnet’s giving you a thumbs up,” Steven said. “And Connie says she wants a veggie pizza anyways, so there will be veggies galore.”

“A cornucopia of bell peppers and onions!” they heard from the background.

“All of the olives!” Steven seconded.

“No room for pineapples!”

“Who puts pineapple on a pizza?”

“Crazy people, Garnet!” Steven said, his attention turned from one guardian to another. “Sheena, promise me you’ll never put a pineapple on a pizza.”

“Don’t worry, dude,” Sheena giggled. “I firmly believe that pineapples belong in sweet and sour recipes and sometimes in a cake. But only if it’s upside down.”

“Sheena, you should come have dinner with us! Pearl, can Sheena come have dinner with us?”

Taking the phone off speaker, the gem brought it back up to her ear. “Not tonight, Steven,” she said, giving the woman an affectionate look. “Sheena has some work she still has to do. I managed to take up a significant amount of her time today. I’ll be home shortly though, so I’ll see you then. Goodbye.”

Hanging up, Pearl returned the phone to her gem.

Sheena watched in fascination, though this wasn’t the first time she had watched the gem put in and pull things from her forehead. But it was still a sight to behold. “I should go,” Pearl whispered.

“I don’t want you to,” the human whispered. “But I know you have to.”

“And you have work to do,” Pearl said, brushing a stray piece of hair behind Sheena’s ear. “Brilliant work.”

Again, a blush rose across Sheena’s cheeks in response. She couldn’t remember the last time a romantic partner had been so attentive towards her, caring about her the way Pearl did; she should’ve been more annoyed by the mothering. She was an adult, she could easily make and eat her own meals and she certainly didn’t need someone to remind her to eat; that’s what she had a stomach for.

But there was something about Pearl – her concerns always came from a place of caring. Just today, she hadn’t wanted Sheena to skip lunch, she hadn’t even wanted her to slack off from work; past girlfriends would have talked her into slagging off work so they could hang out, would’ve brushed off the eternal conflict in Dawn of Dragons – or wouldn’t have understood it period – and very few would’ve displayed the kind of interactions Pearl had with Steven.

“Let me walk you to the door.”

The door was literally two feet away, but Sheena wanted to say goodbye properly, standing and offering a hand to the gem, which she took with a smile and a blush of her own. Tipping her face up slightly, Sheena leaned down and brushed her lips against the gem’s, once, then twice, before it went deeper, leaving them both a little breathless.

“Text me when you get home?” Sheena asked, leaning her forehead against the top of Pearl’s head.

“Of course,” was the response. “Promise me you’ll break for dinner at some point? There’s some leftovers from lunch.”

The human woman smiled, delivering a quick kiss to her hair. “Leave it to you to think ahead.” Sheena wrapped her arms around the thin gem in a hug, giving her a tight squeeze. Releasing her, Sheena took a few steps back. “See you this weekend?”

“I hope so,” Pearl replied. “It’ll depend on if Garnet sees anything suspicious on the horizon, but…I’d really like to see you.”

“Me, too.”

One last kiss and Sheena let the gem go out the door, closing it behind Pearl’s departure. The woman had to catch her breath once more – she knew where her feelings were heading and as much as she was trying to push them aside because it was too early in their relationship, assuming they even _had_ a relationship.

But she’d be lying if that's _not_ what she wanted.

Because she did, she absolutely did.

Pearl was the first girl in a very long time that Sheena had wanted to be with and probably the first one that seemed to have a lot more in common with her than the others. Of course she’d fall for an alien, because why not?

This was a bad idea, right? Pearl was an alien, who fought monsters and did missions that protected the Earth and some junk; Sheena was a web developer who worked from home and was probably a closet biker. She wasn’t special and when Pearl learned about her past…

Shaking her head, Sheena leaned against the door. She had to face reality – she was falling and she was falling fast. And if she wasn’t careful, it would all end.


	2. A Little TLC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During [Gone, Steven, Gone](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12110841/chapters/27505461), Pearl goes to seek comfort and a little TLC and reveals a whole mess of things a couple might not be ready for.
> 
> *Takes place during chapter 2*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda stated my thoughts on those people stating that the Gems should be telling Steven everything about his mother, as well as this notion that he's stupid self-sacrifice will somehow 'fix it all up'. Yeah. Let's how well that works out.
> 
> * **Note:** it doesn't work out well in my story*
> 
> /end mini rant

Friday night was a welcomed sight for any and everyone who ever worked a day in their life. For Sheena, her long week had finally come to a close – the latest project from Midlian had gone swimmingly, from loving the new designs to the content that had been provided for their marketing campaign and better still, Sheena had managed to avoid having to work with Marshall Pain in the Ass and instead working with Gene, who was by far the better writer and funnier too.

While her professional side was getting the boost she wanted and needed, she couldn’t actually say if her personal side was doing the same. Oh, earlier in the week she had seen and spent the day with Pearl, but it also had brought up some lingering questions and feelings that Sheena was glad to have the week to think more on it. If she was honest with herself, _truly honest_ , the pink haired woman knew her feelings for Pearl were growing stronger; much stronger than she may have ever considered.

Sheena of course had girlfriends before meeting Pearl and she had crushed hard on another few, but when she honestly thought about her current feelings and what they could mean, she couldn’t remember really, totally feeling this way about any of the previous girls. Certainly not if she was considering telling Pearl her very deep and very dark secret, something she had only told one other girlfriend and that had _completely_ and _utterly_ backfired on her.

True, Pearl had so far shown she wasn’t anything like Lyndsey, nor was she like Kimmy or Rachel or even Becky; true, the last three were on the young side – as was Lyndsey, but there was only about a three-year difference between them – and Pearl was the first girl in a long time that was much older than she was. Sheena hadn’t lied when she stated she was attracted to older women, she totally was, the problem was usually she was the baby in the relationship and in some cases, her age and lifestyle never gelled with the other woman.

Pearl…Pearl was great, awesome even. The fact that she was an alien made her mysterious AF – she was apparently a bad ass warrior who defended Earth, still defended Earth, against…well, Sheena wasn’t sure what, but it was no doubt cool. She was raising the son of the woman she was so very in love with at one time, but there didn’t seem to be any animosity from the ‘gem’ towards the boy, if anything, Pearl treated him like her own.

There still a lot of things Sheena didn’t know about her – the Steven’s mother thing seemed to be something that caused pain, frustration, and annoyance to everyone that even heard her name and of course, there was the whole thing about how Pearl and her friends came to Earth in the first place, and Sheena wasn’t sure, but something always felt…off whenever she spent time with the entire group, like they were all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It had been four months, going on five, and now was the time for both involved to start deciding just how far they wanted this to go. And in order for them to do that, they needed to probably come clean about their past and what they both wanted for the future.

And Sheena was really starting to think about that future and that terrified her.

Not because of a future with Pearl – that seemed great and awesome and cool – but because of the steps that would need to be taken to get to that point. And to be honest, that’s what Sheena was afraid of.

That had been a few hours ago, her phone telling her it was nearly about eleven o’clock at night. Flix-a-Go-Go had premiered the newest season of Weird Stuff that day and Sheena was knee deep in a four-hour binge. She had treated herself with a delicious bag of Fuegos, a bottle of Cola-Cola, and a bottle of Pirate Jack rum – rum and cokes, Fuegos, and Weird Stuff. She had gotten into her favorite jammies – a white and cammo baseball jersey with black yoga shorts – and was settled on the couch, lights low, and phone on do not disturb.

Friday gone good, baby.

That’s why hearing a knock on her door not only surprised her, but annoyed her. Who dared to disturb her Flix-a-Go-Go binge?

Pausing the start of the fifth episode, Sheena glared at the door, hoping her stare would penetrate the wood and stab whoever was on the other side before standing and walking towards it. “Who is it?” she asked, her voice a little rough from the disturbance. If this was some drunken kid mistaking her apartment for his ex-girlfriend, she was gonna punch someone out.

“It’s Pearl.”

Any anger and annoyance quickly fled in the face of instant glee, which morphed into straight up concern. First and foremost, it wasn't like Pearl to just show up unannounced, she certainly wouldn’t do so at such a late hour, and if Sheena wasn’t mistaken, the voice sounded weird. She didn’t hesitate to unlock and open the door.

Pearl was indeed standing outside the door, but instead of her usual confident, if yet nervous demeanor, she was – if Sheena could be blunt – a wreck. “I…I’m sorry,” the gem stumbled. “I know it’s late and…but I…”

There were still questions Sheena had about this alien’s background, but it was pretty clear that _something_ had happened and Pearl was extremely upset about it. “My door is always open for you,” Sheena replied, not wasting anymore time by taking Pearl’s and leading her inside, closing the door behind her. “Baby, what happened?”

That seemed to open up a floodgate, as Pearl’s composure broke, and she was outwardly crying. Sheena’s arms were around her immediately, trying to listen to a story that wasn’t really making much sense; however, one thing seemed to be clear – Pearl had repeated ‘they took him’ at least four times now and while the human woman wasn’t sure who _they_ were, she had a pretty good idea of the _him_.

“Hey,” she whispered, giving the gem a squeeze before pulling back. “C’mon, let’s sit down and I’ll make you some tea, okay?” Looking back at the still nearly full bottle of rum, she asked, “Unless you want something stronger?”

Whatever happened must have been huge because the most Pearl could do was shake her head in the negative; no ‘I don’t really eat or drink’ or ‘you know that would be wasted on me’. “C’mere.” She led the gem to sit on the couch, making a subtle movement of pushing her still half full drink towards her. “I won’t be mad if you have some,” she whispered, before dropping a quick kiss to the space between her hairline and gem outline.

The pink haired woman hurried into the kitchen, grabbing a pack of white pomegranate tea, and filling a cup full of water. Pearl seemed like the type who enjoyed putting on a kettle, but Sheena didn’t think she could wait that long; besides, a minute and a half in the microwave was all you needed to make a cup and even the minute seemed to last forever. She glanced back towards the living room, keeping her eye on the gem.

She wouldn’t lie – this disturbed her. She was so used to seeing a happier Pearl, one who blushed whenever given a compliment, but seemed to know everything about anything with a confident air of someone who _knew_ they knew everything about anything. This Pearl was…almost a 180 of the one she knew; this Pearl seemed lost and if what she was fretting about was true, there was no possible hope in whatever the next course of action was. The beeping of the microwave brought Sheena from her thoughts, as she took the mug and made her way back to the living room. Handing the mug to Pearl, she sat down next to her, her hand rubbing the back of the gem’s neck to soothe her.

“You know I don’t drink,” Pearl sniffled.

“Yeah,” Sheen replied, giving her a small smile. “But it’s warm and has a nice scent. It’s supposed to be calming.”

“Oh,” the gem nodded, clutching the mug like it was a life line. “I suppose that would be helpful. Is helpful, of course. Thank you.”

“Sure.”

Sheena gave her a few moments to calm herself, noting that her jittery demeanor was dimming, as were her tears, though Sheena didn’t hesitate to wipe a few from her eyes. “What happened?”

And then she got the story, or rather she was sure, an abridge version of the story.

Apparently it all started that morning when Steven came back from the Big Donut to report that the two employees that worked there had seemingly disappeared. Then Steven and Connie had gone out to look for try and look for them when they ran into a strange gem that was apparently looking for her dad. The story went wild from there – something about humans being kidnapped, two gems coming from Pearl’s home planet to Earth, Steven telling a Perin Dot about his friends once and that having gotten back to the home planet, etc.

It was the end result that not only had troubled Pearl – and thus everyone involved – but Sheena too – whoever these guys were, and Pearl seemed to at least know who they were, they had taken Steven back to where they were from. And it all stemmed from something his mother had done.

“It’s just such a mess,” Pearl sobbed. “It might be different if they actually _did_ abduct him, but he just…he just went _willingly_! There’s no telling what they’ll do to him when they get…and now that they have him, there’s _nothing_ to stop them from coming back and _I can’t do this again_! Not Homeworld, not the Diamonds…not this! Losing Rose was bad enough and we were supposed to _keep Steven safe_ and…”

Pearl gave a watery laugh before turning to look at her companion, who – as expected – had a rather confused and curious look on her face. “I know  _nothing_ of what I just said makes any sense to you,” she sniffed. “There’s so much I want to tell you.”

“There’s a lot I have to learn,” Sheena nodded. Most of what Pearl had told her _didn’t_ make any sense to her – why would Steven offer himself up like a prize meal for something he didn’t even do? And what exactly did his mother do that would warrant these other aliens to come to Earth? How did a home world and a bunch of diamonds play into this?

“We’ll deal with it later.”

Pearl sighed, despondently, shaking her head at the notion. She could just imagine what Sheena was thinking about her, about this whole situation right now; she hadn’t intended on coming here period. When she had left the beach house, she had just needed to leave. Yes, they had a plan of sorts on trying to get Steven back, but it wasn’t a guarantee that it would work; Pearl was half inclined to believe she and Peridot had come up with the plan just to satisfy Connie and honestly, keep on her good side.

Even with a somewhat workable idea in motion, there was still a lot of tension in the air that just couldn’t be helped. No matter what, they all felt as though they had failed Steven – the Crystal Gems as a whole weren’t strong enough to beat back either Aquamarine or Topaz, Connie hadn’t been close to getting Steven to either work with her against the two gems or getting off the ship, Peridot felt this whole mess started because of her, Garnet hadn’t even thought to _see_ something like this from happening, Greg was probably rethinking this whole arrangement with the Gems and Steven in the first place…

And at the center of it all, was Rose.

Had they, had _she_ , unintentionally made Steven feel as though he couldn’t measure up to his mother? Pearl had never wanted that, none of them did! They had just wanted to tell Rose’s son about her, about how kind and helpful she had been, how she had changed their lives; they had never wanted to paint her as anything but a wonderful gem and someone who loved Steven even before he was born.

But maybe that was the problem – maybe they should’ve be truthful with him from the beginning, but how would that conversation go?

_“Your mother talked the rest of us into starting a rebellion against our original planet. It basically turned into a civil war, thanks to Rose shattering one of the monarchs. She believed all life was precious, except that one cause…well, she had to go. How about burgers for dinner?”_

Maybe harsh truth was better than constant complex. And that didn’t even cover the stuff Rose had kept from them, from her.

And wasn’t she just the ungrateful one? She had found herself outside of Sheena’s door, the woman had invited her in, given her tea, and listened to her rambling story of which she didn’t understand, and Pearl was thinking about the previous woman she had been in love with? Stars, she was bad at this.

“It’s not that easy,” Pearl began, but was stopped when Sheena turned her face to look at her.

“I got the gist,” she replied. “Some bad dudes up and took your baby boy. Right now, that’s all that matters. If you wanna cry or beat some minion ass or just sit here on the couch…whatever you need, I’ll do it for you.”

Pearl shook her head. “I can’t take advantage of you like that.”

“You’re not,” Sheena said, giving her an affectionate squeeze to the back of her neck. “I’m offering it to you, free of charge, or anything else. Though there is one thing I’m not gonna take no for.” At Pearl’s look, she continued with, “You’re a wreck, Pearl, and I do not think or want you behind the wheel or even walking aimlessly down the street. I know you could probably kick ass in your sleep, but you’re here now and you’re staying here for the night.”

“I…I don’t want to put you out…”

“You’re not,” the woman replied. Standing, Sheena pressed a kiss to the top of Pearl’s head. “I’ll go grab you some jam-jams and make sure my bedroom looks like…you know a bedroom.” She quickly hurried to her bedroom, grabbing dirty laundry and tossing it into her closet before opening the third drawer of her dresser to find a set of pajamas for Pearl. She selected a plain white t-shirt and another pair of yoga shorts, this time in grey and placed them on the bed.

Nodding at the appearance, Sheena left the bedroom for the living room and wasn't surprised to see Pearl still sitting on the couch, though she seemed much calmer than when first arriving. “Hey,” she said, causing the gem to look up at her. Sheena was happy to see she had stopped crying, but it was clear she was still upset. Gesturing with her head, the woman held out her hand for the gem, leading her to the bedroom.

“I put a change of clothes on the bed,” Sheena instructed. “You can get changed and I’ll come check on you in a few, okay?”

Pearl nodded, not having the actual heart to tell Sheena that she didn’t really need to wear clothes or change into anything; instead, she followed the directions and walked into the bedroom. Sheena waited until the gem was fully inside before closing the door to give her some privacy before heading towards the Den of Design, where she kept an extra pillow and blanket. She didn’t want to presume anything, so she was going to either sleep on the living room couch or the smallest couch she kept in the office.

The living room couch was much softer and more comfortable, so she decided on sleeping there. She wasn’t tired and she still had at least one more episode to watch before needing to bed down for the night, so sleeping in the living room was perfect. Sheena grabbed her now melted drink and headed to the kitchen sink to pour it out. She debated if she wanted one more, but shook her head; Pearl had thrown out a lot of puzzle pieces and trying to figure them out while sober would be hard enough.

Already up, Sheena went about cleaning up her Friday night activities – placing the rum on the counter in the kitchen, closing her half-eaten bag of corn chips and putting them on the counter as well, before wiping down the coffee table slightly. She then went about setting up her bed for the night, just as she heard the small creak of her bedroom door opening.

Pearl was quiet when she came into view, hugging the wall of the corridor and only standing at the edge of the living room. “Hey,” Sheena whispered. The more she saw the gem, the more concerned she became. If this had been any other situation, the human woman would’ve admired the way her shirt hung off Pearl’s figure, one white shoulder revealed by the drooping neck line.

“I’m sorry,” came the response. Pearl was looking at the pillow and blanket on the couch. “I don’t want to kick you out of your own living room…”

“Baby, _I’m_ sleeping out here,” the woman interrupted. “You take the bed.”

“Now I _definitely_ don’t want to kick you out of bed.”

Standing once again, Sheena walked over to stand in front of the lithe gem, taking her hands in hers. “Again,” she said. “I’m freely offering, so don’t worry. Whatever makes you comfortable, right now, right here, that’s what I’ll do. What do _you_ want, Pearl?”

A similar question had been asked of her centuries ago, on this same planet, and by another pink haired being that towered over her. What had Greg said, after meeting Sheena that first time? That they both seemed to have the same type? It hadn’t confused Pearl as much as frightened her – she had lost one love to Greg, what could be the chances of losing another to him as well? At this point in their actual friendship, the musician had been very adamant that Sheena had eyes for no one _but_ Pearl.

Maybe that was why she had suddenly found herself at the pink haired human’s front door a little before midnight; there _was_ something happening between them and the gem found herself torn between incredible bliss and stomach churning nightmare at the prospect. And now, she was being asked the same exact question, on the same exact planet about what she – a defective and traitorous pearl – wanted.

And Pearl wanted _a lot_ of things.

She wanted this whole event to over, or better yet, to have never happened at all. She wanted Steven to be back at home, safely wrapped in his covers, in bed; she wanted Connie to be at her own home, safe in the knowledge that she still had a few more weeks of extra training and summer time fun before she would need to head back to school.

She wanted this moment, this moment right here – where she stood in Sheena’s clothes and coming from her bedroom – to be the aftermath of what she could only assume and hope would have been the best way to spend an afternoon. Since spending nearly the entire day here on Tuesday, Pearl’s thoughts had been running wild, with numerous inappropriate scenarios playing out in her mind. She was convinced Garnet was well aware the kind of thoughts that were running rampant and Amethyst was always far too observant to _not_ have picked up where her thoughts were turning.

Giving a small giggle, Pearl opened her mouth to respond. What did she want? Everything, nothing, something. But what did she want that _Sheena_ and only Sheena could give her? Looking up at her, even in the darkened hallway, the gem could make out the softness of those green eyes, looking at her with concern, understanding, and something that Pearl dared not put to word.

“I want you,” she said, firmly. “And…I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

How she managed to keep her libido in check, Sheena didn’t know, but the lid was screwed tight for her to not immediately start thinking things that had nothing to do with the situation. Instead, she leaned over and grazed her lips across Pearl’s before placing a softer one directly on her gem. She turned away, grabbing the remote to turn off the TV, before taking Pearl by the hand and leading her into the bedroom.

Pearl had still been too distraught to truly explore the room, but now that she was back inside, she took the time to glance around.

The bedroom was typical for a young adult making her way in the world. A full-sized bed was in the center of the room, with a bed side table on its left; the small lamp that sat on top was purely decorative – the base was shaped like a star, with the pole going up to into the lampshade. The light string was shaped like a starship, though not one Pearl had ever been familiar with, while the shade itself was covered with images from space.

As the master bedroom, off to the left was the master bathroom and next to it was the medium sized, four drawer dresser. There a few little trinkets and knick knacks that were on the top surface - four strange little figurines with very large heads, a motorcycle model, and four baseballs laid out next to each other. One was a dark blue, with a large embroidered patch that read ‘ECPD’ in the center, the next was black with what looked like an icon surrounded by the words ‘Galactic Academy – Galactic Federation of Planets’, while the last two were what Pearl knew to be called ‘trucker hats’ – one with a green front and bib and the other black, with both having a white mesh side.

“Hey.”

The gem’s exploration was interrupted, as Pearl turned her head to see Sheena sitting on the side of the bed. She had already pulled back the covers and was patting the space next to her. “C’mere, baby.”

Pearl made her way over, watching as the human turned off the light and got into bed, holding the covers aloft for her to follow. She did so without complaint, marveling at the immediate way Sheena covered them before spooning and snuggling her from behind. “Close your eyes,” she whispered, pulling Pearl closer into her embrace.

“You do realize that I don’t need to sleep,” the gem replied, but she none the less found herself closing her eyes.

“Close your eyes, dear.”

Pearl was pretty sure this wouldn’t do anything and there were plenty of things to still be worried about, but being in her human’s arms was always a pleasant experience; Sheena was soft, but also strong and the bed was warm and before she knew it, Pearl had drifted off to a somber sleep.

 

* * *

 

Morning seemed to come much faster that Pearl had realized, surprising herself not in the fact that she had managed to drift off into a sort of meditative state that could be described as sleep, but that she had done so somewhere that wasn’t the beach house or Temple proper. She had never quite understood Amethyst’s love of the habit – gems didn’t need to sleep period, but the purple gem never let a moment past where she could lay down and doze off.

And Amethyst could pretty much sleep anywhere.

But waking up, being cuddled and warm under the sheets and spread, Pearl understood the appeal. Especially if this was a possible way to wake up every day. It was still fairly early, the sun just coming from its own slumber and starting its sunrise routine. Though the events of yesterday were still in her mind, the gem felt a sudden reassurance; yes, things were bleak right now, but they would be okay. They had a plan and they were going to execute it. If plan A didn’t work, they’d come up with plan B, then C, and as many plans as it would take to get Steven back.

Turning over, Pearl faced her sleeping human, admiring the softness of her features, even when asleep. She needed to leave, but the gem was finding it harder than expected to get out of bed, not when she had such a lovely sight before her, tempting her. An image of Steven turning to look at them as he stood inside Aquamarine’s ship flashed before her eyes and her decision was made. Pearl managed to untangle herself from the woman’s limbs – even in sleep, Sheena turned out to be a snuggler, having wrapped one her legs around Pearl’s and hugging her with an arm around her waist and upper torso – before leaning over and placing a light kiss on her cheek.

About fifteen minutes later, Sheena had the odd sense that someone was staring at her. Turning from her side to her back, her slowly opened her eyes, a sleepy smile spreading across her face.

“Good morning.”

“Is it?” Sheena asked, stretching slightly. “It’s still dark and you are outside of my bed instead of being in it.”

Pearl smirked, her hand giving a soothing rub against Sheena’s hip. “Believe me,” she said. “The thought of staying is quite high, but…I can’t.” That statement seemed to sober both of them, as they spent a few moments gazing at each other. “We’re going to get Steven back,” she continued, that confidence Sheena knew and ultimately loved back in full force.

“I never doubted it,” the woman said, sending a smile the gem’s way. “You don’t seem like the kind of gal who doesn’t go get what she wants.”

The gem chuckled at that. “Now maybe,” she replied. “But in a past life…” Shaking her head, Pearl took a deep breath before saying, “We’re going to get Steven back, but…I don’t know how long that’ll take. We still have to get a ship together and then we have to, physically, leave the Earth and it’s been a…very long time since _any_ of us have stepped on Homeworld’s surface…

“As much as I like you, adore you, cherish you…I can’t make you wait. And I would understand if you didn’t want to.”

If Sheena could think of anything that would have greeted her this morning, this certainly wasn’t it. Pearl was, essentially, giving her an out – after all the thoughts, feelings, confusion of those thoughts and feelings, the gem was offering Sheena a get out of jail card, if she wanted it.

Thing was…she didn’t. Sheena _didn’t_ want it.

Sitting up, Sheena took one of Pearl’s hands in her own. “I like you, too,” she stated. “And I like _this_ , I like _us_ , and…I really want _more_ of this, or whatever you’re willing to give me.”

“What…what’re you saying?”

“I’m saying I’ll wait however long I need to for you,” she replied. “Cause I’m not planning on bailing.”

A huge weight, one that Pearl hadn’t even realized she had been feeling, seemed to lift from her. It had only been right to let Sheena know how long this could take and it wouldn’t be fair to just let her continue to want something she might not get; Pearl had learned that the hard way and she was hard pressed into doing something similar to anyone else. The fact that Sheena had stated, without any trace of hesitancy, that she could wait, would wait seemed to buoy the gem’s resolve even more.

Leaning forward, she captured Sheena’s lips in a kiss that was eagerly returned. “Thank you,” she whispered, once they parted, however neither moved away from each other. Using some of her weight and the fact that, regardless of heavy emotional topics, Sheena was still rather sleepy, Pearl managed to push the woman back against the bed, hovering over her slightly.

The movement and erotic position that resulted wasn’t lost on either of them.

“It’s still early,” Pearl whispered. “You still have time to get more sleep.”

“I think I’m wide awake at this point,” Sheena retorted, giving Pearl a look.

“Tempting as it would be to check the validity of that statement,” the gem said, grinning. “I do have to leave.”

“I know,” the human whispered. “Go kick some alien ass.”

“Oh I intend to.”

A quick kiss goodbye would have to keep Sheena in check. She didn’t know when Pearl would be back or _if_ she’d be back, but she had to hope that this couldn’t just be the end of the beginning. The human woman had made her decision – this was something worth pursuing and _Pearl_ was worth pursuing, even if it backfired, Sheena still wanted it, wanted some of it to look back on. Whoever Pearl was off to fight, it sounded like it wouldn’t be easy and again, the human wondered what she might have gotten herself into.

She just hoped whatever happened, Pearl would survive to help answer that question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of references here, but fans of Netflix will not only notice the shout out to the service, but the absolute delight that Stranger Things is back for Season 2. Also, there is this knock off brand of Captain Morgan rum that's...something Jack, I can remember the name, but it's got a pirate skull on it and it delicious. I didn't even like rum until I found this sweet, sweet treat and...
> 
> Okay, well now I kinda want a rum and coke. Fuegos are Takis, which are delicious rolled corn chips, which might either be something here on the west coast or just AZ. Not sure.
> 
> Sheena's fun toys - the lamp is modeled after one of the Star Trek lamps on ThinkGeek, while the little figurines are bobbleheads. As I'm a bigger Star Wars than a Star Trek fan - though I love both - I decided to go Star Trek here with Sheena; I'm thinking that Galaxy Quest (the affectionate ST parody) would actually be the show, while Star Trek would be the movie parody in showverse or at least here. So all of the Trek stuff Sheena (and Connie) might have will more than likely be within the 'Galaxy Quest' idea.


End file.
